2019 GA Motions and Declarations

Declaration: Against fascism and far right in the Spanish State – Jovent Republicà

Fascism and the far right are raising in the Spanish State. After Franco’s death in 1975, the so called transition took place, and lasted until 1982. But Franco’s fascism actually never left the Spanish State. Today, we are still seeing how fascism and intolerant ideas are whitewashed by the Partido Popular (Popular Party), Ciudadanos (the Citizens party) and main Spanish mass media. This is something that deeply worries us and that we, EFAy, will insistently fight.

This already mentioned whitewashing is something that we know and we’ve seen before in history, something that has always taken place as a resource of power and a sybilline strategy of taking advantage of the ones that are not aware of true intentions, which only leads to a rise of fascism and intolerant ideas, and a veiled outrage to democracy. We’re currently seeing this around Europe, with the rise of the Front National in France, Lega in Italy, Party for Freedom in Holland, Freedom Party of Austria, Golden Dawn in Greece or Alternative in Germany.

After a terrifying rise of fascism during the 20th century, it is yet again gaining power and support. We have seen the anti democratic nature of the Spanish State with the trials on the nine Catalan political prisoners, along with three other former Catalan Ministers. The unfairness and injustice of these trials is evident and self-explanatory: they are being accused for organising a referendum and let the Catalan people speak their minds and decide their own future.

But why does this happen if we are aware of it? The Spanish State is a state soaked with francoism. The Spanish Constitution was written under the francoist military’s eye, who were looking for (and actually achieved) to ensure the impunity of the crimes committed in the Spanish State during fourty years, as well as a monarchy and a centralisation of the State.

What’s more, the Popular Party itself was founded by former ministers of the dictatorship, who never repudiated of the coup d’état in the 18th of July of 1936 nor of the dictatorship. All the police, judges, military and torturers that during years reprimanded the democratic opposition, enjoyed a successful career in the public administration during the 80s and 90s with no one, not ever, demanding responsibility for their acts. Still today, most of them alive, are enjoying generous pensions, without ever going to court. The most prominent case is the one of Billy el Niño (Billy the Kid), one of the most feared torturers of the francoist police.

Over the last few months, the far right party Vox has become one of the main actors of the Spanish political arena. In 2013, Vox was assumed to become the most radical wing of the Popular Party, with politicians close to the prior president José María Aznar, and also some party members and openly fascist groups. The party had a scarce success during its first years of political activity, and another failure relating the Spanish far right was predicted.

However, they used the political situation in Catalonia as a way to show their determination to fight for the unity of the Spanish state and became more popular. Media gave them space to speak up and the socialist party of the Spanish State was not capable to give a clear response to the situation in Catalonia and to give an answer to the main problems of the working class. All these aspects together allowed the far right party to become a relevant actor today.

Furthermore, their link with the so-called political parties of the centre right, Popular Party and the Citizens party, allows them to become a key actor. The three parties are currently governing Andalucia and there are high chances that they govern together in other institutions.

Vox suggests the illegalisation of pro independence political parties, permanently disqualifies autonomies and the coofficiality of Catalan, basque and Galician, advocates for the derogation of laws against gender violence and of historical memory and requests a mass deportation of irregular immigrants. This party is qualified as a right wing party by some of the biggest Spanish mass media. This is, without a doubt, a whitewashing operation of fascism with the aim of giving VOX a central paper in the Spanish politics.

Concern about the fascistisation, we consider all democratic forces should unite in order to stop the whitewashing of fascism and commit to fight these intolerant ideas in defence of democracy, diversity and the right of self-determination for all peoples.

Like our ancestors said more than 80 years ago, NO PASARÁN!

For all the exposed, we demand:

The creation of a campaign that attacks the fascist speeches during the European Elections Campaign.

The creation of an alliance with other youth platforms who defend democracy in order to give a common response to fascism

Declaration: Free Catalan Political Prisoneers and end of repression in Catalonia – Jovent Republicà

On the 1st October of 2017 a referendum of independence was celebrated in Catalonia. This was organised by the Catalan Government, and applied and defended by the people. The Spanish government spent the previous months trying to stop it and deny that it would ever happen. On that day, they sent the Spanish paramilitary police against peaceful voters. This came after years of grassroot mobilisations in favour of independence, after the referendum on the 9th of November 2014, and several elections to create new mandates for the Parliament and Government.

The consequence for this referendum has been incarceration of two grassroot movement
leaders (Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cuixart) and 7 politicians, from Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (including our president, Oriol Junqueras) and PDeCAT, along with much repression and police detentions of several other people (mostly activists of the independence movement). Also, 7 politicians and one activist are in exile throughout Europe: five in Belgium, two in Switzerland and one in Scotland.

Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart stand accused of sedition due to the mobilisations of the 20th of September. All incarcerated members of the Government stand accused of sedition, rebellion and misuse of funds for organising the referendum. Carme Forcadell, former speaker of the Catalan Parliament, stands accused of rebellion and sedition. Any of those charges can imply many years of prison. The injustice and unfairness of those trials is evident to us. They should not be judged for respecting democracy, moreover when the mandate of the Catalan people was clear. We strongly believe that the sentence for those trials is already written, being the Spanish justice completely allied with the political and status quo class ruling Spain.

The signatory organizations demand above all:

The immediate release of all the prisoners.

The safe return of all the exiled to the Catalan Countries

The end of the repression in the shape of detentions or any other form

In many places in Europe there are still relics recalling former dictatorships.

Sometimes these fascist relics are abused by extremists by glorifying inhumane
political systems.

In some cases the monuments lack of background information, and their story is not worked up or explained insufficiently.

Thus, people that suffered under the respective inhumane political system are still
ridiculed.

The European Free Alliance Youth

Condemns the fact that there are still fascist relics in public spaces.

Welcomes and supports initiatives toward explaining the true backgroud of fascist
relics and coming into terms with the history of dictatorships.

Welcomes and supports the abolition of fascist relics and/or their relocation into a
museum so that they can no longer provide a breeding ground for fanatical ideologies.

Declaration: Against the wild boar fence along the Danish/German border – SSWungdom

Bearing in mind that:

A) on January 28th, 2019 the construction of a 70-kilometre-long fence along the border
between Denmark and Germany began, sponsored by the Danish government

B) the fence is supposed to prevent wild boars coming from Germany to Denmark, to combat the threat of African Swine fever reaching the country

C) the fence has several holes to ensure other animals are able to cross the border

D) the fence could be identified as closed border in a Europe with open-borders

E) It has been proved that the fence will not prevent wild boars crossing the border

F) the fence has an enormous symbolic meaning and separates the German minority in Denmark and the Danish minority in Germany from their mother country

The European Free Alliance Youth:

A) Does not welcome the installing of the wild boar fence along the Danish/German border

B) Welcomes a Europe with open borders

C) Calls on the Danish Government to overthink the symbolic and cultural meaning of the fence

Declaration: For a listening to the democratic need in the French Republic – UDB Yaouank

The “yellow vest” crisis, which began in 2018, is the sign of a French society in a state of uncertainty and suffocated by a state that does not respond to the democratic expectations and major challenges that are preparing for the 21st century.

Thousands of citizens from all walks of life have maintained an unprecedented movement for months to simply demand the right to live with dignity. Whether it is through a standard of living that continues to deteriorate despite the efforts regularly requested. Whether it is for real progress for the protection of the environment instead of just announcements or an ever stronger desire for true democratic liberation.

Faced with this, the state remains arched on its old Jacobin principles and its vertical philosophy. To all the demands of these thousands of citizens, the authorities respond only by denial, arrogance, provocation, guilt and the effects of sterile announcements.

Instead of responding to expectations, we are witnessing an ideological and authoritarian retrenchment of the Government. Security laws are being promulgated or are in the process of being promulgated, such as the one on “fakes news”, which reduces the possibility of alternative information and highlights more “official” information. The “anti-breakers” law, the application of which immediately affected the freedom to demonstrate through arbitrary arrests of people with nothing to blame, extraordinarily strict standards going so far as to use swimming goggles or an anti-pollution mask to protect themselves like category A weapons, etc.

The result is, on the one hand, to increase tension between demonstrators and police forces, to increase the feeling of authoritarianism on the part of the state and to encourage many people not to go to demonstrations for fear of being arrested and convicted without the possibility of demonstrating their pacifism or for fear of being wounded by overarmed police forces compared to our European neighbours.

Tension between demonstrators and police forces is constantly increasing, with the state regularly maintaining the latter, which causes sections of society to oppose each other, despite the fact that there are many common struggles. This ongoing blurring helps to highlight extremist demonstrators who do not hesitate to use violence and propagate racist messages. It is however a very small minority but which attract most of the spotlights helping to undermine the credibility of the movement. In addition, the police are committing numerous blunders, causing a number of serious injuries that have not been seen in several decades. The number of limbs and eyes ripped out is in the hundreds and the lives of so many people are forever turned upside down.

To seem to be giving the change, the Government has set up major debates throughout France to raise the aspirations of the French. And yet, the government confirms that it will not change its line, making these debates sterile for many citizens.

In the light of these facts, the EFAy deplores the French state’s clear desire to maintain tensions in the population, for which it is responsible. Democratic will is strongly demanded and its last ones must be heard and implemented.

Declaration: Wales After Brexit – Plaid Cymru Ifanc

Since the referendum in 2016, the process of negotiations on UK’s exit from the European Union has been one characterised by incompetence, stalemate, and lack of compromise. From a Leave campaign based on lies and illegal activity, to the current impasse of the present situation just a few short weeks out from the UK’s foreseen exit, Brexit (taken to mean the negotiations and exit process) has created huge social and cultural divisions in the UK, as well as contributing in a significant way to the general public’s mistrust of politics and ‘elites’. It is clear that the UK model is broken, and that the British state cannot serve the people, particularly those in the devolved nations.

In light of the worrying present situation, the European Free Alliance Youth:

welcomes the recent boost to the independence movement in Wales, and notes the surge in activism with pro-independence civil society groups, events and demonstrations, and independent popular media springing up across the country.

believes that Wales needs a political restructuring, particularly in terms of its external relations and international co-operation given that the UK model is broken, and the idea of a Celtic Union (meaning increased co-operation between an independent Wales, Scotland, and Ireland) would be useful for joint infrastructure, energy, and communications projects.

Given that we know that Wales would now vote to remain in the EU if asked again today, believes that a framework of some kind offering fast-track process of rejoining the EU as an independent Member State should be explored, particularly given the likely continuation of regulatory harmony after the UK’s departure.

Motion: LGBT Inclusive Education – Federation of Student Nationalists

EFAy supports the principal that no one should be persecuted or discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation; commends the Time for Inclusive Education Campaign that has promoted LGBT Inclusive Education in schools. Welcomes the Scottish Governments and Welsh Assembly’s decision to implement the proposals of a cross disciplinary expert panel and calls for the same on a European level; advising for methods and proposals to tackle homophobia, transphobia and biphobia in society and communities across Scotland.

Motion: Developing and improving the European Citizens’ Initiative – SSWungdom

Bearing in mind that:

A) The EU-Commission does not have an obligation to act when a successful Citizens’ Initiative gets turned in

B) the great administrative burden which the realisation of this mechanism contains The European Free Alliance Youth:

Calls for a developed and improved system which makes it easier for EU-citizens to participate in European politics by:

A) lowering the number of signatures needed from 1 million to 500.000

B) presenting the successful implemented citizens’ initiative to the European Parliament. If the majority agrees, it will be presented to the European Commission which in that case has an obligation to act

C) making the system of collecting signatures easier and standardizing it in all states participating

Motion: Minority SafePack and the rights of minorities and stateless nations in the EU – SSWungdom

Bearing in mind that:

A) In 2017 the European Citizens’ initiative “Minority SafePack -one million signatures for diversity in Europe” started with the goal to collect one million signatures within one year.

B) People all over Europe signed the Minority SafePack and one million signatures in over 7 countries were collected before the deadline

C) The Minority SafePack is about protecting minorities, stateless nations, nationalities and language groups and to ensure that minority rights will be put on the European agenda.

The European Free Alliance Youth:

A) Calls on the European Commission and the European Parliament to recognise European minorities and to put minority rights on the European agenda which should result in an active European policy which ensures the rights of European minorities and stateless nations

B) Calls on the EU to appoint an EU-Commissioner who is responsible for the rights of minorities, stateless nations and nationalities and language groups in the EU

Motion: Ending Period poverty – Young Scots for Independence

As EFAy, as a feminist organisation, we should fight to eradicate period poverty. Through history women had had to suffer stigma,shame and pain from something as natural as periods.

Period poverty refers to having a lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints. Something that many of us are lucky enough to probably take for granted.

However, this isn’t just an issue in countries as far as we think. This is happening on our
doorstep and is having a serious effect on the education, health and general quality of life for thousands of women and especially teenage girls in the UE.

In Scotland our fight to eradicate period poverty, started when we took the tax out of the
sanitary products. Later on we decided to make them completely free in places like university,colleges or government buildings.

We should follow Scotland’s example and make this EFAy policy, and fight to make sanitary products free and accessible to all female around Europe

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About us

EFAy is a youth political organisation made up of members who belong to organisations, movements or political parties that safeguard and promote the cultural, linguistic and national diversity of Europe.